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Against the backdrop of the crisis, the surveillance state is set to expand

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21–30 of 39 posts

Re: Against the backdrop of the crisis, the surveillance state is set to expand

#21

Why stop with monitoring people’s online activities? Why not require always on microphones, cameras, and location tracking on our phones/baby monitors/alexas? Future history books won’t talk about the death of human freedom in the late 21st century because such books will be censored by future governments that have a million times more power to control their populations than was historically the case.

The thing is, what happens then ? What do these people in power do all day ? Sounds like it would be a rather drab situation no ?

Look at Kim Jong Un for an extreme example.

Re: Against the backdrop of the crisis, the surveillance state is set to expand

#22
we, the people of the united states, need to forcefully push back on this encroachment. we lost the advantage when politicians fell all over themselves rushing to grab emergency powers, and the timid majority not only did not take pause at this, but begged for more.

instead of allowing millions of entities the freedom to tackle the crisis from millions of vantage points, we let politicians collapse that down to essentially a few dozen governmental entities in charge, amassing power in people who have adverse incentives to the populace. we willingly gave up most of our optionality and diversity in tackling the challenge.

the better configuration, imho, is a set of governments primarily organized around gathering and disseminating crucial information openly and transparently for all (which they currently do as well). as the nexus of critical information, those governments would then also focus on connecting people and businesses who can advance the democratic goals of the polity. politicians are leaders of their departments and representatives of the electorate, not the other way around (as currently acceded).

Re: Against the backdrop of the crisis, the surveillance state is set to expand

#23

The debate about this bill has been going on for a while now. Riana Pfefferkorn of CIS did a lot better job objectively addressing the issues (sans the overt political cheap shots) in her article. It lays out why it may be unconstitutional on several grounds. I'd recommend reading it if you want more detail on the bill: THE EARN IT ACT: HOW TO BAN END-TO-END ENCRYPTION WITHOUT ACTUALLY BANNING IT: http://cyberlaw.sta…

Thank you for sharing this. Very good and much more helpful and less tendentious than the main link above.

Re: Against the backdrop of the crisis, the surveillance state is set to expand

#24

We need more decentralized software, like skype was originally, where there is no tech company with access that would have to 'earn it'. Taking away our right to privacy while telling me your are saving children makes my skin crawl - I can't think of a more anti-american act.

We have tons of decentralized software already. We certainly don't need more. We need to get people to use it.

Re: Against the backdrop of the crisis, the surveillance state is set to expand

#25

The debate about this bill has been going on for a while now. Riana Pfefferkorn of CIS did a lot better job objectively addressing the issues (sans the overt political cheap shots) in her article. It lays out why it may be unconstitutional on several grounds. I'd recommend reading it if you want more detail on the bill: THE EARN IT ACT: HOW TO BAN END-TO-END ENCRYPTION WITHOUT ACTUALLY BANNING IT: http://cyberlaw.sta…

Thank you for posting that link. That post was far more informative and, as you mentioned, avoided "cheap shots". This subject is best discussed without politically partisan language; all of us are affected, regardless of how or even whether we vote. Thanks again.

Re: Against the backdrop of the crisis, the surveillance state is set to expand

#26
post #12

What's the end game for the current administration's corrupting of American institutions, one-by-one? The Justice Department and the FBI were once beacons for the world to model their own justice systems after. Independent, transparent, hard-driving. Now they're politicized and demonized as some "dEeP sTatE" apparatus that's out to get Trump and his cronies.

You have a Rose colored view of history if you believe the Trump administration is the first and only Administration to use the "Justice" dept or FBI for their political ends In fact I would be hard pressed to find a single administration that has not used them as a political tool I am glad to see people are finally waking up to the dangers of a large central government, but I am dishearten that people believe that T…

There is a huge difference between "the current administration practices corruption on a massive scale" and "no other administration has practiced or will practice corruption". (For example, your parent didn't mention Democrats at all. I will be reluctantly voting for Biden, hoping more that he doesn't make things worse than that he will make them significantly better; but, if a different Republican were the only way to get Trump out of office, then I'd vote for the Republican.)

Re: Against the backdrop of the crisis, the surveillance state is set to expand

#27

We need more decentralized software, like skype was originally, where there is no tech company with access that would have to 'earn it'. Taking away our right to privacy while telling me your are saving children makes my skin crawl - I can't think of a more anti-american act.

We have tons of decentralized software already. We certainly don't need more. We need to get people to use it.

Examples?

Re: Against the backdrop of the crisis, the surveillance state is set to expand

#28

We need more decentralized software, like skype was originally, where there is no tech company with access that would have to 'earn it'. Taking away our right to privacy while telling me your are saving children makes my skin crawl - I can't think of a more anti-american act.

We have tons of decentralized software already. We certainly don't need more. We need to get people to use it.

Is there a good index or list of decentralized software?

Googling for it seems to be a long term project.

Re: Against the backdrop of the crisis, the surveillance state is set to expand

#30
post #26
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have a Rose colored view of history if you believe the Trump administration is the first and only Administration to use the "Justice" dept or FBI for their political ends In fact I would be hard pressed to find a single administration that has not used them as a political tool I am glad to see people are finally waking up to the dangers of a large central government, but I am dishearten that people believe that T…

There is a huge difference between "the current administration practices corruption on a massive scale" and "no other administration has practiced or will practice corruption". (For example, your parent didn't mention Democrats at all. I will be reluctantly voting for Biden, hoping more that he doesn't make things worse than that he will make them significantly better; but, if a different Republican were the only way…

>>There is a huge difference between "the current administration practices corruption on a massive scale" and "no other administration has practiced or will practice corruption"

Trump is more colorful and in your face about it, but I do not believe his Administration is more corrupt, he just does not have the media covering for him like the past administration have

Further some of the "corruption" is not IMO corruption at all, like for example the current scandal around Michael Flynn. Those charges by the FBI are a clear example of Tyranny (Tyranny defined as that which is legal for government but illegal for the citizenry). What is sad to me is that FBI does that to people all the time and normally gets away with it

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